54 



i *' 



Control. If it is desired to apply remedial measures 

 for the control of aphis, spraying with kerosene emulsion 

 or whale oil soap would be the best treatment. This insect, 

 however, is attacked by natural enemies, which often are 

 able to hold it in complete control. The most important 

 of the natural enemies are the several species of lady-birds 

 which occur in the West Indies. The spotted lady -bird 

 (Megilla maculata, var., De Geer), and the red lady-bird 

 (Cycloneda sanguiuea, L.), are shown at (Pig. 52). Certain 



Fig". 52. Lady-birds. 



(a) Spotted lady-bird ; (b) Red lady-bird ; (c) eggs. Enlarged. 

 (Imperial Dept. Agric.) 



species of aphis, are known to be attacked by hymenopter- 

 ous parasites, and by parastic fungi. The fungi, ^develop 

 much more rapidly under moist conditions / and. would 

 exert more influence in the control of aphis in" wet, than 

 in dry, weather. This fact, and the fact that heavy rains 

 wash the aphis off the leaves of plants, would explain 

 perhaps why these insects are more troublesome in the 

 dry season. 



THE CUT WORM (Prodenia spp.). Lepidoptera. 



Out worms are the larvae of certain night-flying moths 

 There are in the West Indies several closely related 

 species which are all alike in general habit. These cater- 

 pillars live in the ground and feed on the roots of plants 

 and on the stems of young seedlings. One of these, 

 Prodenia ornithogaUi, is shown in the illustration (Fig. 53). 

 Cotton plants are often attacked, the second or third day 

 after they appear above ground. Cut worms can be 

 controlled by the use of poisoned bait, which is applied on 

 the surface of the ground or lightly covered with soil at 

 the time that the seeds are planted. 



